Top shelf

Sunday

Apr 21, 2013 at 12:01 AMApr 21, 2013 at 9:34 AM

Woke Up Lonely (Graywolf, $26) by Fiona Maazel: "Maazel presents a warped mirror of our country and the time we live in. The Helix, a cult of the lonely, and its founder, Thurlow Dan, along with his ex-wife, Esme, and their daughter, Ida, head a superb cast of characters. The story unfolds in a winding, fun-house fashion, sporting locales from North Korea to Cincinnati."

• Woke Up Lonely (Graywolf, $26) by Fiona Maazel: "Maazel presents a warped mirror of our country and the time we live in. The Helix, a cult of the lonely, and its founder, Thurlow Dan, along with his ex-wife, Esme, and their daughter, Ida, head a superb cast of characters. The story unfolds in a winding, fun-house fashion, sporting locales from North Korea to Cincinnati."

- Cody Morrison,

Square Books,

Oxford, Miss.

• The Andalucian Friend (Crown, $26) by Alexander Soderberg: "Fans of Stieg Larson's 'Millennium' series will enjoy this new high-octane thriller - the first in a trilogy. Sophie Brinkmann, a single mother and nurse, finds herself in the middle of a war between international drug dealers when she meets and starts dating book publisher Hector Guzman. Sophie turns to an ex-boyfriend for help, but he is an arms dealer whose latest deal has angered his clients, unpredictable Russian mobsters. The characters all collide in a highly suspenseful story."